Shooting Down a Hijacked Plane—The German Discussion and Beyond

The article examines whether state officials may shoot down a hijacked airplane which carries uninvolved passengers, if it is known that the plane will be used against the lives of other human beings. In its first sections, it explains the German Federal Constitutional Court’s verdict against such a permission, and it scrutinizes the crucial arguments in this ruling (restrictions on the use of military weapons; human dignity arguments). The author then extends the discussion beyond the path taken by the court. She examines the defensive claims of passengers aboard the plane and the protective claims of potential victims who are present at the hijackers’ target zone. In contrast to the German Federal Constitutional Court, she concludes that state officials must take the claims of both groups of potential victims equally serious, and that such conditions allow applying a consequentialist calculus (“save the greater number”) because it is the only way out of a genuine dilemma.     

Challenges and Changes in Dutch Family Law

Since the “Divorce Challenge” in the Netherlands, a lot of initiatives have been taken on a political level, from the judiciary and in practice, to improve the situation for children of separation. Experimental legislation is on its way to enable the development of new court procedures. One of its ideas is to introduce a so‐called family's representative. This new professional, a lawyer or mediator, can represent both parents in court or coordinate the entire divorce process, both before and after the court procedure.     

An Improved Protection for the (Mentally Ill) Trans Parent: A Queer Reading of AP,Garçon and Nicot v France

The European Court of Human Rights has been deciding cases concerning LGBT rights since the early 1980s. Its case law on trans rights has changed drastically over time, imposing upon the states of the Council of Europe certain minimum standards regarding the legal recognition of gender identity. In its recent judgment of April 2017 the Court laid down a new rule to be adopted by domestic legislation; namely, that the legal recognition of gender transition cannot be made conditional upon pursuing medical or surgical procedures which have (or are likely to have) sterilising effects. This article analyses the judgment from a critical perspective grounded in queer theory, noting both the positive and the negative elements of the Court's decision.     

A generalization of the obligation to prevent: From genocide convention to racial discrimination convention

The decision of the International Court of Justice in the case concerning the application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (“Genocide Convention”) highlights states’ obligations under the Convention, especially the obligation to prevent. When it comes to the case concerning the International Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (“Racial Discrimination Convention”), the decision of the Court indicating provisional measures seemingly purported to generalize its jurisprudence in the Genocide Case. By elaborating this kind of new jurisprudence, the Court echoed to the responsibility to protect, as well as to Article 48 and Article 54 of the Draft Articles on the Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts (“Draft Articles of State Responsibility”). It appears that each State Party should have an obligation to intervene in the coming genocide incidence, perhaps as well as in the coming racial discrimination cases. Nevertheless it is unclear in what manner a state could implement it effectively.     

ECJ rules on acts of “Extraction” that infringe database right

Four years from the European Court of Justice's seminal rulings on database right in the British Horseracing Board and Fixtures Marketing cases, the Court has once again looked at the extent of protection this right affords. The earlier decisions had suggested the right was weak, with many databases not qualifying for protection and the extent of infringement required being difficult to meet. However, the ECJ's recent ruling in the Directmedia case (C-304/07) handed down in late-2008 is more positive for database owners. Adopting the reasoning of the Advocate General, the ECJ has clarified the types of acts which can constitute infringement of database right and confirmed they are broad in scope. The outcome and implications of the ruling are discussed below.     

人民监督员制度改革研究

人民监督员制度是2003年9月起在中国实行的、检察机关通过从社会选任具有代表性的人士对检察机关的执法活动进行监督的制度.这一制度经过了试点阶段、全面推广阶段,如今已进入深入与规范阶段.各地检察机关推行了很多改革措施,包括:进行人民监督员"体制外"试点,通过"自荐为主,推荐为辅"产生人民监督员,推行"上级院统一选任人民监督员模式",形成了传统的同级监督模式、下管一级(上提一级)监督模式、同级异地交叉监督模式、上下级交叉与同级异地交叉结合监督模式等四种具体运行模式.人民监督员制度的改革与发展的趋势是:对人民监督员制度进行正式立法,统一全面推行"体制外"监督,扩大人民监督员的选拔范围,加强人民监督员决定的法律拘束力,推行"上下级交叉与同级异地交叉监督结合模式",扩大监督的案件范围和情形等.     

浅议从法院调解到诉讼和解

对法院调解的弊端探讨由来已久,诉讼和解具有法院调解的优点,同时也具有自身优点:在以当事人为主导的同时适当发挥法官的能动性,充分体现当事人自愿与处分权原则,因此,应当用诉讼和解来取代法院调解,使诉讼和解成为法院调解改革的方向。     

Credibility of the Emotional Witness: A Study of Ratings by Court Judges

Previous studies have shown that the emotional behavior displayed during testimony may affect the perceived credibility of the witness. The present study compares credibility ratings by Norwegian court judges with those made by lay people. The participants viewed one of three video-recorded versions of a rape victim's statement, role played by a professional actress. The statement was given in a free-recall manner with one of three kinds of emotions displayed, termed congruent, neutral, and incongruent emotional expression. The results show that, in contrast to lay people, the credibility ratings of court judges and their votes for a guilty verdict were not influenced by the emotions displayed by the witness. Results are discussed in terms of professional expertise.     

刑事案件中警察出庭作证可行性探析

警察出庭作证不仅涉及我国的政治体制、司法体制问题，还涉及政法工作者们对刑事证据规则的认识，只有把这几个原则性问题的关系理顺，才能为以后的警察出庭作证制度建设立好根本。当前有关警察出庭作证的研究为数不少是直接构建制度方面的，而对警察出庭作证尤其是刑事案件中警察出庭作证的理论基础、重大意义，以及可行性分析才是根本。此外，一些国家和地区警察出庭作证的先进经验对我国警察出庭作证的实践具有重大启示。     

陕甘宁边区高等法院档案及其学术价值

陕甘宁边区高等法院档案,内容完整、丰富,不仅包括边区整体司法运作的详细资料,还有大量有关法律制度的理论探讨资料,对这一批史料的整理、公开和研究,将会极大地丰富陕甘宁边区法制史的资料体系,深化边区法制史的研究,为今天的法制研究、法制改革及建设提供十分重要的经验和教训。